Hi,Jess is due her second booster in may,and Im thinking of having her titre tested,can anyone give me just a rough idea of the cost please?

My vet charged £78 last year per dog. 

> My vet charged £78 last year per dog. 

You can see why the majority just opt to booster based on cost, as if the booster is needed it is that on top of the price of the jabs, which around here are about £40 for a  booster, and £55- £60 a full course.

I pay about £25 for a booster!

We had a cut price Vaccination and neutering clinic open locally, but when the guy retired it was bought out by one fo the group practises. 

They kept the cut price Vaccinations for a while so I continued using them for this (also their out of hours cover was closer than that my other vet uses), but they gradually put the price up and to my cost when I booked 4 pups in and was shocked to find that it was £58 each, and no group discount. 

The Vet I use for everything else charges about £1.50 less, but throws in worming dose and Frontline dose.

thankyou for all your replies,im amazed ,it costs so much!The other dogs ive had,all had just their puppy vaccinations,and maybe one booster,and all been fine,I think our last booster was about £25 ,maybe a pound or 2 more-wonder if that means titre testing might be cheaper too?(one lives in hopes!)Think Il give the vets a ring,then Il see if I can afford it or not,or if its a saving up job!Thanks again,everyone!

You can see why the majority just opt to booster based on cost, as if the booster is needed it is that on top of the price of the jabs, which around here are about £40 for a  booster, and £55- £60 a full course.

I'd rather pay that for a titre (and booster if necessary, though up to now it never was necessary) than having to pay out for the treatment and management of autoimmune diseases which will in the long run be much more expensive on my wallet and my dog's health.

And I think vaccination at my vets are around the £50 or £60 mark anyway (single course), so it doesn't make that much difference...

Also, the latest advice I have seen that's it's only necessary to titre every three years (like vaccinations) not yearly, so it isn't all that expensive really.

My vets charge roughly £10 per test.  So if testing for 4 things then it will be around £40.

> I'd rather pay that for a titre (and booster if necessary, though up to now it never was necessary) than having to pay out for the treatment and management of autoimmune diseases which will in the long run be much more expensive on my wallet and my dog's health.
>
>

Yes but the average pet owner doesn't know any of this and is advised (told) to booster by their vet.  Many actively discourage titre testing (even if the owner is aware it exists)by citing the expense compared to a 'harmless' booster.

I've heard this too LurcherGirl.  My vet, who is new to the UK from USA, says the same... yet so many people still do it yearly (my vets are very anti routine vaccinations, so most of their clientele titre test...but yearly still).  Two of mine are coming up to 1 year post-titre, and I'm really in two minds about what to do.  I hope you don't mind me asking but are you going to do it every 3 years now?

>Many actively discourage titre testing (even if the owner is aware it exists)by citing the expense compared to a 'harmless' booster.

My vet does this.  They also refuse to use the jab which only needs to be given 3 yrly and the lepto/PI one yearly - they say that your average pet owner isn't aware of what their dog had the previous year or of what it needs this year, so it's better just to give the whole thing every year?!!?  (I would have thought this is where vet records and computer systems come into play!!)  As I result, I use a different vet for jabs!!!

> Many actively discourage titre testing

Decided last year to not boost - dogs then 6 & 5 and had been boosted previously - just had lepto. Our vet happy with this, did discuss titre testing but was told the results can be misleading as the imune system is not only the levels of antibodies but memory cells which can't be measured. http://www.caberfeidh.com/Titers.htm

...did discuss titre testing but was told the results can be misleading as the imune system is not only the levels of antibodies but memory cells which can't be measured. http://www.caberfeidh.com/Titers.htm

True, but it is a pretty good indicator.

Well,I rang the vets this morning to enqire about titre testing-the receptionist hadnt heard of it,so i explained and she kindly said she would go and ask.When she came back,she said they HAD done it,but the vet said it would be VERY expensive!I  didnt like to send her back again to find out HOW expensive.Bit disheartening.Maybe Il just have the lepto one done-Ive heard that HAS to be done yearly?Do the antibodies to that not last?

> Well,I rang the vets this morning to enqire about titre testing-the receptionist hadnt heard of it

If you would like it done, can't you ring around other vets to enquire what they would charge?

I suppose I could,but I struggle for transport,"my"vets is a long walk and a halfhour busride away as it is,none nearer unfortunatly.In emergencies,or when a dog cant walk,such as Flyss was,or after operations,I beg lifts,but I dont like to ask too often.However,theres no harm in ringing round to get an idea of cost,is there?good idea,thanks!

Interesting colliepam, I got much the same reply when I enquired further however down the line I eventually was given a figure of £75 per illness tested for. Lurcher girl is that what you have done do you titre test for each illness ? I havnt gone any further yet 

http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_66367_en.pdf

scroll down to 2nd page for canine. Prices are Aug 2010 and don't include cost of vet taking bloods.
Chris

Interesting

Interesting colliepam, I got much the same reply when I enquired further however down the line I eventually was given a figure of £75 per illness tested for. Lurcher girl is that what you have done do you titre test for each illness ?

Nope, the price I quoted was for Parvo, Canine Hepatitis and Distemper.

There is no reason why it should cost £75 per illness, the vet only has to take blood once so that cost should only be added once! It would be absolutely ridiculous to charge over £200 for titring for three diseases... someone really is taking the micky or they simply don't know what they are talking about (probably the latter as most vet nurses and many vets actually never titre test and therefore don't know what the actual lab costs are and what it entails). 

Checked prices today and to do titre test for the same illnesses as a full course of vaccs would be £165
So do I just pick out certain ones to be tested for ? if so which ones. Apparently a full course of vaccines now covers 6 diseases

Interesting article about titre testing in this weeks Dog World by Eileen Geeson on page 9.

Veyr interesting i wonder what the price is ?

Well as I read it think she said £8 per dog .?

I will have another look and take the article into my vet